Police charge 5th suspect in teen’s killing

Police accused a Rock Island man Thursday of firing the shot that killed 17-year-old Kion Lewis on Sept. 7 even as a fifth suspect is being charged with the slaying.

Meanwhile, the mother of one of the younger suspects is angry her son faces murder charges when she says he was a bystander who happens to know some of the suspects.

Lamont L. Williams, 18, of Moline is the latest to be charged in Lewis’ death. Williams is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Tuesday in Rock Island County Circuit Court.

Three other suspects — Jodan L. Murphy, 17, Andre M. Shaw, 27, and Kelvin D. Shaw, 30, all of Rock Island — appeared together Thursday at a preliminary hearing. Each is charged with first-degree murder. A trial date was set for Nov. 19. Andre and Kelvin Shaw are brothers.

Rock Island Police Detective Greg Whitcomb said at Thursday’s preliminary hearing that Lewis, who was on the front porch at 1014 11th Ave., was unintentionally caught in a crossfire between two rival groups in front of the home.

Evidence showed that Williams and Andre Shaw were the two identified shooters, and it was Shaw’s gunfire that killed Lewis, Whitcomb said.

Lewis suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at Trinity Rock Island.

Murphy, the Shaws and Richardson were part of one group and Williams was part of the other group, Whitcomb said.

Williams fired the first shot, and Andre Shaw retaliated, hitting Lewis, Whitcomb said. He added that Andre Shaw was shot in the abdomen.

Afterward, the Shaws and an unidentified person fled the scene in one direction, and Murphy and Richardson fled in another. The Shaws, Murphy and Richardson later met up at Murphy’s home at 1035 13th Ave., two blocks from the murder scene, Whitcomb said.

Kelvin Shaw had put the murder weapon in a backpack and handed it to Richardson when they got to Murphy’s home. Later, in the course of fleeing police, Richardson threw the bag on the ground, Whitcomb said.